FOMO Lab and Banijay partner to launch Mr Bean NFT collection

Banijay has announced its first activation in the Metaverse with a Mr Bean NFT drop, in collaboration with intellectual property specialist and Metaverse architect FOMO Lab.

Fans will be able to own Mr Bean digital assets and collectibles, inspired by the hit animated series. The genesis Mr Bean NFT collection will be an assortment of 3,333 unique digital collectibles, available to purchase from 25 May using cryptocurrency Ether on FOMO Lab’s NFT marketplace, TheAvenue.market.

By purchasing the Mr Bean digital collectibles, holders will also have access to phygital rewards, competitions and redeemables, including a signed, unpublished hand-drawn still of Mr Bean from the first animated series. Further Mr Bean NFT drops with FOMO Lab are planned throughout 2022.

“Banijay has many exciting Metaverse projects to announce this year, as we continue to adopt new technologies to futureproof our brands,” says Owain Walbyoff, Chief Commercial Officer, Banijay. With his huge global following, Mr Bean is rightly taking his first steps into this space, and the combination of digital and physical rewards gives the NFT long-term value for the lucky few who manage to purchase them.”

Khalil Kassam, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, FOMO Lab, adds: “”FOMO Lab is the bridge between brands entering the Metaverse and NFT space and the Web3 community, changing the digital landscape forever, and we are delighted to partner with innovator Banijay to launch the official Mr Bean NFT collection.

“We are continuously evolving our product offering, working closely with tier-one brands, as well as the next generation of creators, relentlessly providing value to our community. It’s our mission to bring NFTs to a wide audience, with exclusive access to the latest and most sought-after products on the market.”

One of Britain’s most famous comic creations of all time, Mr Bean, first appeared on screens in 1990, with the versatile performer Rowan Atkinson playing the hapless hero. The show has now been in continual distribution for over 30 years, spawning a globally successful animated series voiced by Atkinson, which launched in 2002.

The brand attracts significant digital audiences, with over 129 million followers on Facebook, making it the biggest TV brand on the platform; nearly 50 million subscribers and 15 billion lifetime views across official YouTube channels; 8.7 million followers on Instagram; and 8.3 million likes on TikTok.

FOMO Lab’s recent partnerships include collaborations with road racing cyclist Mark Cavendish, MEFCC (Middle East and Film Comic Con), entrepreneur Roland Berger, and the heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The legacy NFT collection with Tyson Fury saw FOMO Lab achieving the highest bid in NFT boxing history, selling the 1-of-1 NFT for $987,000

FOMO Lab is creating an entire product suite which includes a multi-chain NFT marketplace, a staking ecosystem, FOMO Lab Launchpad – a Metaverse platform with a ground-breaking mobile social application for NFT collectors – and many more products. The Avenue provides its holders with full control over their digital assets with over 3,000 users signed up, alongside an average visitor count exceeding 30,000 monthly.

Mr Bean: The Animated Series is produced by Tiger Aspect Kids and Family, part of Banijay Kids and Family.

Endemol Shine Brasil teams with Vibra Digital for MasterChef Brasil online store

Endemol Shine Brasil, part of Banijay, and Vibra, a hub of technological solutions based on content consumption data and responsible for the digital strategy of the channels Bandeirantes Group, are launching an official store for the sale of MasterChef Brasil licensed products on the NaPrateleira platform.

MasterChef Brasil, which debuted in 2014, is one of the longest-running series on Brazilian television with 13 seasons so far.

“We always wanted to bring the MasterChef Brasil experience into people’s homes and beyond the screen and through this partnership with Vibra, we have found the best way to facilitate that happening,” says Fernanda Abreu, Head of Licensing at Endemol Shine Brasil. “The NaPrateleira marketplace serves all of Brazil with safety and quality and it is the perfect place for our viewers to purchase licensed MasterChef products.”

Led since 2015 by Abreu, Endemol Shine Brasil’s Licensing department is responsible for representing the company’s brands and characters in the country, transforming entertainment into a complete experience for customers and consumers.

Currently, there are more than 70 products in the new MasterChef Brasil official store and in 2022, Endemol Shine Brasil expects to offer more than 200 items.

Among the MasterChef Brasil items licensed by Endemol Shine Brasil available in the official store are stickers, birthday invitations, decorative bands, Gedex knives, packaging and trays for sweets and snacks, stainless steel tongs, rice moulders, cutters, reels, spatulas, sieves and spoons.

Developer Tilting Point creates new cooking competition game based on Banijay’s hit show MasterChef

Developer Tilting Point has created a new fast-paced cooking competition game based on Banijay’s hit show MasterChef.

MasterChef: Let’s Cook! is available exclusively on Apple Arcade, Apple’s game subscription service that offers access to a growing collection of over 200 games, featuring new releases, award winners, and favourites from the App Store, all without ads or in-app purchases.

Players of MasterChef: Let’s Cook! must choose ingredients, slice, prepare, plate and serve delicious dishes, competing against other players from around the globe. The MasterChef jury evaluates dishes based on the player’s performance and speed. There are opportunities to complete and unlock new recipes, challenges, and mini-games along the cooking journey.

MasterChef is the world’s most successful cookery television format (Guinness World Records), with 64 local versions to-date. Recently hitting a milestone 500 seasons aired globally, MasterChef consistently attracts huge audiences internationally. With more than 90 licensees around the world, the MasterChefbrand also extends into a range of successful commercial activities, with millions of consumer products sold, an extensive publishing range, and live experiences from restaurants to cruises and tours.

MasterChef brand is controlled by Banijay Brands, part of Banijay. The company’s other global brands include Peaky Blinders, Survivor, Temptation Island, Deal or No Deal, Big Brother and Mr Bean.

Yeti Farm Creative’s Sweet Tweets expands to longer format and scores global distributor

Artist-driven Canadian studio Yeti Farm Creative is bringing a longer-form version of its Sweet Tweets series to Knowledge: Kids on British Columbia’s Knowledge Network, the publicly funded education cable network. The fan-favourite show will premiere on November 1, 2021.

In addition, Yeti Farm Creative (Hotel Transylvania Season 2, Summer Memories) has named Zodiak Kids, part of Banijay (Super Agent Jon Le Bon, Horrid Henry), worldwide distributor for the new 26 x 3.5 story-driven series produced with the financial participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund.

“We’re so excited to bring the Sweet Tweets series to viewers across Canada and around the world,” says Ashley Ramsay, Founder and CEO of Yeti Farm Creative and Co-Executive Producer of the show. “Sweet Tweets has amassed a large and loyal following on YouTube and other digital platforms over the years and we look forward to working with Knowledge: Kids and Zodiak Kids to debut the new longer-form series for existing and new fans everywhere.”

“Zodiak Kids is delighted to have taken on the distribution of this gorgeous yet simple programme,” says Delphine Dumont, SVP of Sales, Acquisitions & Co-Production, Zodiak Kids. “We are looking forward to presenting the longer version to broadcasters globally.”

Sweet Tweets will present character-driven stories about life’s small adventures, featuring a cast of friendly “Tweets” who laugh, play and, especially, sing together. The relatable stories focus on social-emotional lessons for preschoolers, from dealing with disappointments – like being inside on a rainy day and cleaning up big messes – to the simple joys of everyday life such as playing games with friends and learning something new.

The upcoming show expands on the original Sweet Tweets series of song-centred, one-minute digital shorts. Every episode of the longer-form series will include a minute-long, standalone original song by composer Daniel Ingram (My Little Pony: The Movie, Littlest Pet Shop), to be available on iTunes.

The series was created entirely in British Columbia with 2D Harmony. It is set to air on Knowledge Network each weekday at 12:42pm PT and stream across Canada on the free Knowledge: Kids app and online at www.knowledgekids.ca.

 

Interview: Ready Steady Cook whips up fresh new licensing take for the modern audience

Of the many changes necessitated by the arrival of the pandemic, a common experience that we have all shared over the course of the past nine months of lockdown, is that – in some capacity or another – it has made home cooks of us all. With more time spent in the home, it was inevitable that even more time would be spent in the kitchen.

Toss this into the same salad bowl as the matter that coronavirus has forced many of us to think more carefully about the money we are spending, and underlined the importance and value of the sustainability message through a heightened consumer awareness of environmental issues, and it would appear that the relaunch of Banijay’s hit afternoon TV series, Ready Steady Cook couldn’t have been more timely.

Over the course of the decade that has passed since Ready Steady Cook was last on air, things – the world – has certainly changed. Consumer sensibilities have shifted, sustainability is a topic increasingly on the minds of shoppers, and our relationship with food and its value has evolved somewhat, and as it finds new life on the BBC once again, it is all of these points that the popular cooking challenge television show that first surfaced some 25 years ago, is looking to encapsulate.

Following the announcement this week that Banijay isn’t just re-heating, but firing up a whole new audience passion around the Ready Steady Cook IP, Licensing.biz catches up with Alice Bernardi, director of international brand licensing at Banijay Brands, to discover how licensing will be promoting the show’s new values for an audience of reinvigorated home cooks.

Can you tell us why now is an exciting time to be relaunching the licensing plans around Ready Steady Cook?  

It’s an incredibly exciting and appropriate time to re-launch the licensing programme around Ready Steady Cook because the world has changed a lot since the show was last on air in the UK – over 10 years ago – and times have certainly changed. Our attitude to food, it’s provenance, preserving the climate and our increased awareness of eating a balanced diet have all contributed to a different culinary environment. More than ever sustainability and ethically produced food are part of our day to day thinking as we make purchase decisions around what to cook with.   

There are a number of initiatives that the show is adopting to reflect this – for example, plastic bags have been replaced with re-usable jute bags, single plastic use is avoided with glass being used as much as possible, recycling is so important as part of the show with colour coded waste bins both on set and backstage, local suppliers are used as much as possible and given the show is produced in Scotland this gives a fantastic range of great fresh and seasonal produce and at the end of the day, unused fruit and vegetables and non-perishable goods are delivered to a local food bank.  

So the production team works incredibly hard to deliver this key element of the show which as we all know could not be more relevant nor important in 2020.  An additional element which remains so relevant is cooking on a budget and making sure that we don’t throw away our surplus food but find a way to re-use it. 

Households everywhere are challenged with weekly budgets and finding a way to cook wholesome and tasty food cost effectively at the same time as being aware of the impact food has on the environment is a compelling proposition. In the most recent series, we are using the same values as 15 years ago with contestants who had a shopping budget of just £3.50 up to £10 which adds an additional challenge given inflation, but wanted it feel inclusive, which is what we want to reflect in the licensing programme, there will be something for everyone.  

What is the strength of Ready Steady Cook here in the UK? How has it maintained its popularity over the years?

You can’t underestimate the power of a legacy show with such high awareness. Ready Steady Cook aired for 16 years on the BBC and is still much loved and recognised – the green peppers and red tomatoes are such strong icons which are instantly recalled by so many of us today. 

Many of today’s audience still remember coming home from school and watching the show when they were young and now can enjoy it as families with their kids. Originally it was broadcast in the same slot at 4.30pm, stripped daily on BBC 1 and was also on iPlayer. The show’s ratings were very strong, delivering a highly desirable younger audience of 16 to 34 year olds alongside adults aged 35 to 54. The show regularly performed above the slot average and has a consolidated audience of 2.35m viewers beating the BBC 1 slot average by 34 per cent.   

Internationally, the show has travelled to over 25 markets including the US, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany the Middle East and the Nordics. The simple format, combining a cooking challenge on a budget remains the same but with added timed food challenges and more curved balls from unpredictable audience participation which enhance the viewing experience. 

Having Rylan Clark Neal (X-Factor, Celebrity Big Brother) at the helm brings a new energy, charisma and passion to the show, appealing to both younger and older audiences, and is a hugely popular presenter here in the UK so is a big draw for audiences. And because he’s not a chef, I’m sure he makes those who are less talented in the kitchen feel a lot more included.

Rylan is the ideal foil to the five new chefs who have the task of completing the challenges and is able to hold the show together in a humorous and quick-witted way, keeping the pace and energy levels high. We have also made sure to reflect the current diverse range of foods we all now love, and our chefs feature recipes from all over the world so there’s something for everyone to relate to. 

Basically, the original and central message of brand is still as relevant as ever – cooking on a budget, in very little time – but with the important element of sustainability front and centre, which ultimately resonates with the viewers and is why it continues being so popular for all ages.

Lockdown seems to have encouraged more home cooks, and more home cooking than ever before. How will you be tapping into this new found audience through licensing? What are the key audiences you are looking to tap into here?

Exactly, lockdown made home cooks out of many of us! The world has never cooked at home more through pure necessity and with a focus back on the kitchen, cooking, whether you are enjoying an evening alone, with friends or family, it has become an even more important part of our daily lives as we connect through food.  But we have less money than before, so we need to cook carefully and hopefully responsibly. 

We still want to experiment with dishes and try new things, so this show encourages us to do this whilst still living within our means. So hopefully Ready Steady Cook offers everyone something they can take away and apply in their own lives. Our demographic is broad as cooking speaks to everyone so our licensing programme will offer cost effective products which are true to the ethos of the show and can be used by everyone and anyone with no barrier to entry.

What licensing deals will you be coming out of the starting blocks with? How will this set you up for a wider programme to roll out?  

Our initial licensing programme will focus on the core categories of publishing, foodstuffs and kitchenware. We see storage containers, measuring and recycling tools as key product lines. We’re also keen to develop an experiential offering so people can enjoy the brand in person and have fun with it – hopefully this space will open up more next year.   

Partnerships with organisations in the sustainability area are also a key area of focus to ensure the brand DNA extends off screen into real life practises. Great value for money resonates with today’s consumers and this will be factored into our licensing programme. We also know that consumers care more and more about what they eat and where in comes from both for health reasons and for environmental reasons. Therefore, we plan to offer consumers a range of products that will incorporate all of these elements and make Ready Steady Cook the standout brand in relation to sustainability.

What sort of retail partnerships will you be targeted with the licensing programme?

As we all know the retail landscape is in flux with the impact of lockdown. Consumer’s behaviour patterns have changed with online and value more dominant than ever. We will respond to this and partner with the best and most appropriate retailers to deliver the best consumer offering.  We are open to multi territory partnerships delivering scale and working with organisations to amplify the sustainability message.

Banijay launches new consumer products programme for Ready Steady Cook

Banijay has launched a new consumer products programme for its iconic cooking brand, Ready Steady Cook, marking the return of the show and its licensing efforts with a modern style guide and suite of creative assets.

With its new look in tow, the Ready Steady Cook brand is looking to develop products across a range of categories, including food storage, kitchen appliances, cookware, textiles, foodstuffs, and digital products for the much loved heritage IP.

Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing of Banijay Brands, said: “Worldwide consumers and audiences love Ready Steady Cook and we’ve seen a real rise in fans from younger demographics. This classic heritage brand is both nostalgic and fresh in bringing together people, generating culinary ideas, and providing great entertainment, creating an exciting opportunity for new licensees and partners. The quality and popularity of the Ready Steady Cook brand means the products are sure to fly off the shelves.”

The popularity of home cooking reached new heights during the world’s period of lockdown, and with the pandemic threatening further restriction measures to be taken once again, Banijay has spotted that the relationship between consumers and their food ‘has never been more important.’

‘It’s for this reason,’ states the firm, ‘that now is the perfect time for Ready Steady Cook to be a brand partner for licensees in the culinary space.’

Banijay continues: ‘The Ready Steady Cook brand values mirror that of kitchens around the world, with a particular focus on value for money, sustainability, managing food waste and provenance; all of which will resonate with economically-conscious and environmentally-aware consumers looking for exciting culinary products to add to their homes.’

Ready Steady Cook is an internationally recognised brand, having seen the show adapted in over 20 territories. Consumer brand awareness has also been amplified this year in the UK following the successful TV relaunch on BBC ONe from Remarkable TV.

Popular presenter Rylan Clark-Neal was at the helm as he introduced the TV classic and gave new meaning to the phrases, “green peppers” and “red tomatoes”. The show performed well for younger viewers and was above the broadcaster’s slot average by +10 per cent for Adults aged 16 to 34.

The show has once again taught a new generation about contemporary food themes; from how to cook on a budget, to eating healthily, and feeding a whole family, whilst reflecting the changes in food and British cooking over the past decade.

Banijay Brands will launch at next month’s Festival of Licensing with senior executives available for meetings at the virtual conference.

The Banijay Brands portfolio includes MasterChef, Temptation Island, Peaky Blinders, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, The Inbetweeners, Big Brother, Mister Maker, Operation Triunfo, Eat Well for Less?, Simon’s Cat, Mr Bean, Don’t!, Sunday Brunch, Tipping Point, The Biggest Loser, Ready Steady Cook, Black Mirror, Miss France, Maddie’s Do You Know?, Wipeout and Crystal Maze.

Banijay, Sanrio, and Diageo make up final keynotes for Festival of Licensing Live Stage

Festival of Licensing has revealed the final three keynotes to take its Live Stage – this year sponsored by Crunchyroll – as it welcomes Banijay, Sanrio, and Diageo to the fold. The three firms will take up the European, Asian, and Americas keynotes respectively.

Banijay recently became the world’s largest international content producer and distributor, following its recent acquisition of Endemol Shine Group, Sanrio is a global lifestyle brand best known for it pop icons like Hello Kitty, and Diageo is a powerhouse behind beverage, spirit, and beer brands such as Johnnie Walker, Baileys, Guinness, Captain Morgan, and more.

The three latest additions joins a roster that already boasts the likes of Smiley, Alibaba, and Authentic Brands Group among others.

A month-long virtual celebration of the global licensing industry running from October 6 to 29th, Festival of Licensing incorporates three regional events linked to the world’s biggest markets – Europe, Asia and the Americas – and culminates with the global C-suite and executive-level virtual conference, Licensing Leadership Summit. 

The live presentations will take place as follows: 

  • Europe Keynote – Powered by Brand Licensing Europe on Thursday, 8 October, 9am BST:

The Role of Licensing in Building Global Brands
Speakers: Jane Smith, Group Director Brand Licensing and Gaming, Banijay/Endemol Shine

  • Asia Keynote – Powered by Licensing Expo China and Licensing Expo Japan on Thursday, 15thOctober, 2pm CST 

Small Gift, Big Smile: Evolving a Global Heritage Brand While Maintaining Core Values
Speaker: Linh Forse, Senior Director, Sales and Business Development, Sanrio Inc.

  • Americas Keynote – Powered by Licensing Expo on Thursday, 22ndOctober, 9am PST 

How Diageo Leverages Licensing to Fuel Growth in an Ever-changing Marketplace 

Speakers: Declan Hassett, Senior Licensing Manager, Diageo, and Shane Grogan, Senior Licensing Manager, Diageo

Banijay, Sanrio and Diageo are huge brands and home to some of the world’s most creative and successful licensing programmes, which have – unsurprisingly – captured the hearts and loyalty of their fans and consumers. We are delighted to have them join us on the Festival of Licensing Live Stage next month,” said Anna Knight, vice president of licensing, Informa Markets.  

“Crunchyroll has been the world’s best home for anime for over 10 years and is also an established licensor and distributor worldwide, so it made perfect sense for us to partner with Festival of Licensing as the Live Stage sponsor and we’re really looking forward to enjoying the programme, along with thousands of other visitors across Europe, Asia and the Americas,” added Waell Oueslati, director of acquisitions and licensing at Crunchyroll SAS (EMEA).

Meanwhile, ViacomCBS Consumer Products, which is sponsoring the Festival of Licensing Community & Wellbeing Programme, has also added fresh details to its well-being workshop content, which is available to view, download and start grooving to from Tuesday, 6 October at 7am BST.

Community & Wellbeing Programme:

  • GET UP AND MOVE WITH NICK JR

Take a break from the day and invite your kids to join as your favourite Nick Jr. friends guide you through family friendly dance moves, yoga poses and stretching exercises.

  • BIKINI BOTTOM YOGA

Take a trip to Bikini Bottom for a SpongeBob-themed yoga class. Hosted by yoga enthusiast Adanna Paul, viewers will experience a calming yoga practice, set to tropical music and ocean sounds, providing a healthy break to stretch and relax.

  • RETRO MTV WORKOUT

Get up and move in between business sessions with fitness influencer Sydney Cummings, who will lead viewers through an MTV-themed workout. Don’t worry about skill level, there are options and modifications for everyone! 

Festival of Licensing is organised and produced by the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets.

Visitors can register for free at www.festivaloflicensing.com

Banijay puts Peaky Blinders fans’ knowledge to the test with the Peaky Blinders Quiz Book

Banijay and the Peaky Blinders brand owner, Caryn Mandabach Productions is putting fans’ knowledge to the test with the launch of the first Official Peaky Blinders Quiz Book.

Inside the Official Peaky Blinders Quiz Book fans of the show will find over 1,000 questions from across the five series, varying in difficulty level from the criminally easy to the murderously hard. The quiz book is suitable for all ages, and aims to provide hours of fun for the family.

The book arrives on the heels of the success of the first official Peaky Blinders book, By Order of the Peaky Blinders: The Official Companion to the Hit TV Series, which launched last year.

Published by Michael O’Mara Books, the book is an ultimate call-out to fans; exploring the key themes, characters and plotlines. 

Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing of Banijay Brands, said: “The new Official Peaky Blinders Quiz Book is incredibly exciting, and demonstrates yet another way of how Banijay Brands are able to work with licensees to come up with innovative ways to extend the brand into multiple product lines that consumers will love.

“At a time when quizzing has never been so popular, we really hope fans of the show enjoy delving deep, and testing their knowledge, as they will no doubt find out interesting facts they never knew.” 

Susan Waddell, commercial director, Caryn Mandabach Productions, added: “We have had so much fun working with Matt Whyman and the  talented team at Hodder on the creation of the first official Peaky Blinders Quiz Book. It’s a brilliant way to relive the Show and we are sure our fans will love the chance to put their Peaky knowledge to the test.”

Peaky Blinders boasts a successful licensing programme that now spans over 40 licensees across multiple territories. This includes product ranges across apparel, gifting, stationary, men’s grooming, games and puzzles, video games and experiential. The brand continues to appeal to the TV series’ dedicated fan base in a growing number of international markets.

Created and written by Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises and Locke), the multi-award-winning BBC One series is produced by Peaky Blinders owner, independent production company Caryn Mandabach Productions and by Banijay’s Tiger Aspect Productions. 

Banijay represent a range of global ancillary rights for Peaky Blinders which is distributed by Banijay Rights across more than 183 countries and airs widely on Netflix internationally including the USA.

Mr Bean marks 30th anniversary with new licensing partners and increased global reach

Mr Bean is marking its 30th anniversary with a raft of new consumer product partnerships, brokered by Banijay, in celebration of the continual distribution of the popular live action series for the past three decades.

Fans of Rowan Atkinson’s iconic character will now have the chance to get their hands on a range of anniversary collectable products, including a limited edition knitted Teddy plush from Teespring, as well as a Mr Bean commemorative coin – a limited number of which have been signed by Atkinson himself.

Mr Bean’s famous lime green Mini die-cast from Corgi was refreshed for the occasion with a special 30th anniversary packaging and is available at retail and online now. The company will also release a DIY special edition of the Mini with the Mr Bean figure in November 2020.

A brand-new Mr Bean Top Trumps card game from Winning Moves is also available now.

To maximise on the character’s global popularity and reach, the company has signed its first brand licensing partnership in India, with the one of the country’s leading licensing agencies – Black White Orange Brands Pvt. Ltd. The two companies will work hand-in-hand to bring brand extensions and to life.

This accompanies further international brand licensing agents appointed in southeast Asia (Empire), Greater China (Medialink), South Korea (Asiana Licensing), Australia (Blackmint) and J&M Brands in Benelux.

Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing and gaming, Banijay Brands, said: “Mr Bean turning 30 is a tremendous milestone and we are thrilled to provide fans with a wide range of products across the novelty gift space to commemorate this special day.

“These deals enable retailers and customers to continue to engage with this much loved brand beyond the screen. With ten licensing agents now on board globally the Mr Bean brand is looking as bright as ever.”

Mr Bean’s digital platforms and social media has over 137 million cross platform subscribers across the four main social platforms which drives younger audiences to be able to engage with the brand through various platforms. There has also been significant success across mobile gaming with Mr Bean Special Delivery, and Mr Bean Around the World achieving 58 million downloads over the past six years.

Banijay launches its licensing and merchandising division Banijay Brands

Banijay today announces the launch of Banijay Brands, a division dedicated to all areas of commercial activity, including brand licensing, merchandising, gaming, gambling, and music. The division will be led by the newly appointed chief commercial officer, Owain Walbyoff.

The new operation will represent an extensive and diverse portfolio covering entertainment, scripted animation, game shows, and kids, from MasterChef, Peaky Blinders and Deal or No Deal, to Simon’s Cat, Mr Bean, and Crystal Maze.

Following the recent acquisition, Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing will lead the licensing area, overseeing key brands from the world’s largest international content catalogue, comprising of more than 88,000 hours of original programming. She will also work with the network of teams in local markets to further expand the business.

Smith joined Endemol Shine in 2018, where she has substantially driven the growth of properties such as MasterChef, Peaky Blinders and Simon’s Cat within licensing and merchandising. 

Banijay Brands will launch at next month’s Festival of Licensing with senior executives available for meetings at the virtual conference.

Walbyoff, said: “Without a doubt we are a market leader in this space, and I look forward to seeing how we bolster the IP even further. Jane is a highly-experienced, strategic executive with vast industry knowledge, and with some of the world’s biggest brands in our portfolio, the possibilities are endless.” 

Jane Smith, group director, brand licensing of Banijay Brands, added: “Banijay Brands represents an incredibly compelling catalogue of globally-renowned, cross-genre brands, which we will be bringing to the Festival of Licensing. By partnering with the very best licensees in the business, we aim to create innovative and impressive products that our audiences and fans will love.”

The Banijay Brands portfolio now includes MasterChef, Temptation Island, Peaky Blinders, Survivor, Deal or No Deal, The Inbetweeners, Big Brother, Mister Maker, Operation Triunfo, Eat Well for Less, Simon’s Cat, Mr Bean, Don’t, Sunday Brunch, Tipping Point, The Biggest Loser, Ready Steady Cook, Black Mirror, Miss France, Maddie’s Do You Know?, Wipeout and Crystal Maze.